Under the Rain
by TheiaNeko
Summary: Fighting akumas in the rain was not one of Ladybug's favourite things to do. Especially since her partner was in possession of bad-luck, and their situation seemed to be becoming more and more desperate as it went on.


A fight while it was raining was Ladybug's least favourite time to engage in a battle with akumas. It wasn't so much because of the sight hindrance or the tendency to slip slightly when running through a puddle. It was more because Chat Noir, her dear partner, had quite a bit of trouble dealing with that type of weather. Had trouble dealing with the whole aspect of getting wet. Though lightning wasn't a favourite thing of his either; being in ownership of bad luck did come with its downfalls. The sky had tried to strike down the poor cat one too many times.

It was one particular fight between Miraculous holders and akuma when the rain had been dreadfully heavy. Ladybug had hated how it got in her eyes. She was lucky the water pellets hadn't been heavy enough to affect the throw of her yoyo while it had been flying through the air towards its target. Or, many targets.

The person who had transformed into an akuma with the help of Hawk Moth was serenading her victims. Just as a siren would, she entranced men, women and sometimes even children to do her bidding. Those affected were covered in what Ladybug soon perceived to be somewhat similar to black tar, making it all the more difficult to attack considering it was hard to get back what touched their skin.

The lucky duo stood fighting atop a rain covered battlefield over the roofs of Paris, trying not to get their weapons nor hands stuck on the bodies of those controlled by The Singer. Black sludge surrounded them, and while normally Ladybug found comfort in black, now she only felt terror shake through her body.

Looking over at her partner, she saw Chat tighten his grip on the baton in his hand, eyes glancing back and forth, trying to keep track of all those in front of him. The blue-eyed girl saw the boy beside her take a step back and knew she had to do something. because using cataclysm to destroy the sludge was too dangerous to even consider, Lucky charm seemed like the only option left.

"Don't worry my Lady, if worse comes to worse, I'm sure I can take them on my own," Chat said, trying to secure a small grin on his face in an attempt to soothe both their nerves.

As she made eye contact with Chat Noir, he nodded, understanding exactly where her thoughts had led to. "Lucky Charm!" The act of throwing her yoyo up into the air momentarily captured the attention of the eager tarred creatures.

Her weapon returned to her hand, shortly thereafter followed by a long piece of rope. When she looked up, all of the creatures blinked the familiar red and black in the dark night. Looking around for another component to tie it all together, Ladybug saw one of the chimneys blink at her. Smiling for the first time since the creatures began to swarm, Ladybug shouted to her partner. Chat Noir, who had become increasingly agitated by their situation and the rain beating down on him, smiled back at the girl with relief.

"Chat Noir, let's go!" With a single shout from his Lady, he started forward. The cat bounded over the mass of black sludge, meowing as he flew through the air to get their attention. Ladybug was lucky to have a partner that understood how she thought. But there was a reason they feared those influenced by The Singer. Not only did they have a perfect way to grab hold of The Singer's newest victims, they were entirely too fast for their own good and seemed to know exactly where they were, despite their lack of eyes.

Rounding as many up as she could seemed like the best choice of action, and the luckiest path to take. As the creatures all turned towards Chat, Ladybug heard the akuma singing in the streets below them, aggravating the creatures as she did so. There was no time for hesitation. As soon as there was enough room, the dark-haired girl slipped through a small space and tied the rope to the chimney.

She had to plan this so it was flawless. There could be no mistakes. Ladybug stood with her back bare to the streets of Paris, knowing that at any second The Singer could bound up from behind and grab her. Gripping the red and black rope bunched in her hands, Ladybug waited for the sludge covered people to run close enough to her; they needed to be close enough to round them all up in one go.

The sound of a body hitting something came to the dark-haired girl's attention. In the back of her mind, Ladybug wondered if Chat was alright. She hadn't seen him since he had made a diversion for her.

There was no time for distractions. She had to immobilise those who were under the Singer's control. Gritting her teeth, she waited.

Just a few more seconds.

Wait. Soon.

NOW! As quick as lighting, Ladybug dashed around the creatures, the sudden movement from the hero taking most of them off guard. Some tried to get out before she reached the chimney. Many tugged and pushed at the rope, causing Ladybug to trip and stumble and she made her way to the closing point, pulling the rope as taut as she could while she ran.

Breathing a small sigh of relief as she finally reached the chimney, she made a couple more laps around the object before tying a knot in the rope. Looking around, she tried to listen over the sound of the rain pelting down over Paris for any sign of her partner.

"Chat? Chat Noir?" It was almost as if her cries fell on deaf ears. Any sounds that had been coming from The Singer were gone. The sludge creatures, once restless and loud, were suddenly in some sort of trance. A feeling of dread surfaced in Ladybug's gut. Squeezing her yoyo in an attempt to quell her fears, Ladybug made her way over to where she had last seen her black suited partner.

Her voice hoarse, teeth chattering, she finally heard him. A whisper to her ears over the sound of the rain and the sound of her utter relief. A small smile surfaced on her face, and she started to run to him when his voice carried over the vents sitting on the roof.

"My Lady, I'm sorry." His voice caused the blue-eyed girl to stop in her tracks, the smile fading off of her face as quickly as it had come. "I was so sure... That I could handle them on my own." Fear leaped into her heart, a silent prayer the worst hadn't come to pass for her partner or his kwami. "But, I suddenly dozed off... I can't remember what hit me..."

One step, two steps. Please, _please_ let there be no blood. Ladybug knew if anything happened to Chat, if she lost him, there would be no way for her to recover.

"But... " Ladybug stopped walking, her heart felt like it had stopped. "I can't... I can't feel Plagg anymore... They..." There was a fault in his voice, a slight crack. Under the rain, Ladybug felt tears spring to her eyes. This couldn't be happening. "They took him... They took Plagg from me."

Ladybug's entire being filled with dread and sorrow, her feet glued to the spot as she listened to her partner's cracking voice.

"You can't see me from where you are, but I'm no longer transformed so... If you're uncomfortable seeing me like this, you don't need to come over. I'll be fine." Looking up from the puddles by her feet towards where Chat's voice was coming from, the blue-eyed girl was finally able to move. No matter what happened, they would stick through this together.

That's what they promised didn't they? That they would stick by the other's side no matter what happened? Why would he ever think she wouldn't be there for him? Especially during this. They both knew over time, their kwami companion had become more than a stranger, more than a friend. They were family. Losing one would be like losing a piece of themselves.

She opened her mouth, not expecting her own voice to crack as she spoke. "Chat..." she began, finally feeling the rain lighten as she moved towards her best friend. The boy she trusted with her life. "You seem like a very lonely person. It's not easy balancing two lives at once."

She stopped when she saw the white tip of his shoes and the blue of his jeans. Closing her eyes, she grabbed the top of the vent he sat against. Taking a deep breath, she started towards him once again. "You try not to let it bring you down in order to protect what is important to you." Now she was closer, and the rain had slowed to a slight mist, Ladybug could hear his irregular breathing, and his slight hiccups. Oh god, he was _crying_.

She reached the end of the vent and reached down blindly to find the blonde-haired boy she adored so much. When her hand reached his head, she turned towards him and leaned into a hug. How could he have ever thought she would leave him when he had lost his kwami?

"But those with tough shells are often more fragile at heart..." she continued, hoping her words were soothing enough to calm him, if only by a little bit. "And it's alright to be that way." She felt his arms wrap around her. His breathing evened out bit by bit as more tears sprung to her eyes, mixing with the rain as they fell down her face.

"You remind me of someone else I know." Taking a deep breath, Marinette released her transformation. If he was to show her his identity, she was going to show him hers. There was no way she was going to let him be on his own. Not now. Not ever.

"It's okay, Chat," she whispered, burying her face into his shoulder. "We'll get him back." His breathing had finally evened out to a few hiccups here and there. She thanked all her luck she was able to be here for him. She wouldn't be anywhere else. Not chasing down the siren, nor fighting Hawk Moth. Here, for her partner, and nowhere else. "In case you're not ready to show yourself yet," she began once more. "I closed my eyes before I-"

"Marinette...?" At the sound of her name, the blue-eyed girl's eyes shot open in surprise. She leaned back to face a familiar boy, whose eyes were swollen from crying. Her mind raced as it tried to comprehend what she was seeing.

"Adrien?"

The rain finally stopped.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! I'm sorry I haven't uploaded anything until now, but this one gets a comic along with it! How great is that!**

 **So, I've been working on chapter 2 of KWAMI, and am about half way done, but I'll definitely get it out before the 15th /I say that now ./**

 **Comic- Can be found on my tumblr (Rionydal) under the tag 'miraculous fanficitons' or 'under the rain'**

 **((Did I mention how much I dislike the word restrictions on the summaries? .; ))**

 **See you all next upload!**

 **TheiaNeko~ (Rionydal)**


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